By
eHow Parties & Entertaining Editor
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Step1
Stock a range of party staples that can become an instant feast. Pasta is easy and quick--and almost everyone has an extra box in the cupboard. Other basics include balsamic vinegar and olive oil, Parmesan cheese, canned whole tomatoes, jars of pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, crackers, chips and jars of salsa, soy sauce and rice wine vinegar (for easy dipping sauces), boxed cake mixes and ice cream.
Step2
Stock extra wine, champagne and beer, hard alcohol and mixers. You can blend margarita mix and tequila with ice in seconds.
Step3
Give them something to snack on: You should always have nuts and olives at the ready. Then put out crackers, chips and salsa, raw veggies and ranch dressing, or quesadillas cut into thin strips.
Step4
Fire up the grill. People can catch up outside while you make appetizers (grilled bread with mozzarella and fresh basil), dinner (salmon, kebabs, portobello mushroom burgers) and even dessert (grilled peaches with vanilla ice cream).
Step5
Let your guests assemble and serve their own meals from food bars with mashed potato fixings and chili, build-your-own burritos or ice-cream sundae ingredients.
Step6
Buy a roasted chicken for an impromptu dinner party and pull together easy side dishes: smashed boiled red potatoes (skins on) with herbed goat cheese mixed in, a green salad and the frozen green veggie of your choice cooked with a little butter and salt.